Disruptive Evolution - Before I Formed Thee in the Belly: Part 1
by Thewatcherobserves
Summary: Star Fleet Section 31 needs new ways to defend the Federation after Admiral Marcus' failure. Spock's and Uhura's family is in their crosshairs. Spock searches for the secret of the S'chn T'gai children's "secret" gifts.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

_All non-original characters belong to their respective owners. Story concept, settings and plot belong to the author in whole or in part. No portion of this material may be reproduced, transmitted, used or modified in any matter on any media without the author's and/or owners' express written permission. Portions copyrighted._

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The small craft landed as close to the habitat as could safely be accomplished. The elderly woman inside gave a small, almost invisible, smile and continued to prepare a generous repast for her guest. It had taken significant time for the right questions to be formed; she would give them their due consideration.

"Come", she aimed at the interior door that kept the temperature consistently warm and the bulk of the dust outside of her tidy home. The voice control security unit unlocked to allow entry.

Pouring hot water into the teapot with absent attention, her eyes scanned the property through the thermal covers over the windows. She stayed here in the too-big homestead to be with family; many of her beloved kept vigil with her only meters away in the family crypt. She would, in her own time, join them but recognized that 40% - or more - of her life lay in an unseen path before her.

Her visitor, accustomed to the cultural norms on her small patch of the universe, removed cloak and shoes before stepping over the interior threshold. Under one arm he carried a bribe of sorts, a bottle of sparkling wine with just a hint more sweetness than traditional champagne.

_He's prepared well for this visit... _her mind considered.

Then again, he had a reputation for thoroughness - and for impulsiveness as well. The hint of amusement tugged again at her features precipitating a sigh...

_A Vulcan with a sense of humor. What an anachronism._

"Greetings, Elder. I hope the day finds you well and productive." her guest offered with a comfortable expression. Clearly she did not intimidate him as she had a reputation for with the younger ones. He'd never succumbed to that unease even as a small child.

"Such formality is unnecessary between us. We are, neither of us, so much what we were in youth."

"No, we are -"

She interrupted him as she made her way without haste into her living area with the tray of refreshments.

"And you were incorrigible even as a child, Spohkh."

"A truth I acknowledged as a child. I have heard the same spoken of you."

"Be obedient this time and sit. Help yourself to the tea. Do you still enjoy peanut butter and jelly?"

Had he not known better, Spohkh would have sworn the old matron chuckled.

"More than in my youth. The opportunity to indulge diminishes each year."

"Then take pleasure in my memory of your preferences. As you have no doubt surmised, the selection reflects my perpetual indulgences for you."

"For which I am truly pleased and always grateful."


	2. Chapter 2

Placing loose flecks of chamomile leaves in each infuser, Spock lowered the colander-like devices into the antique tea cups and covered them in scalding water from the ancient teapot. The survival of the tea set satisfied the logical avoidance of waste, serving this family for over 340 Earth years and through many relocations - some voluntary and intentional, some desperate and necessary. So, too, the furnishings represented a wanderer's life across many planets - mostly Earth, Vulcan and here.

Years had passed since Spock last visited with this elder. A busy life did not justify the distance of time between their reunions. No one need tell Spock the fleeting nature of lives together, especially since Va'aPk and the Great Silence. But a life spent in service made gatherings difficult. As one of the remnant, he'd never been busier.

"Nyota is well?" the Elder asked, alternately sipping and blowing the hot tea.

"She is. She carries twins and suffers those challenges common to all gravid females. But she is quite pleased. As with Grayson, Dr. McCoy anticipates an 11-month gestation -"

"Spohkh, I'm familiar with human phraseology. You need not use such formal language with me."

A Vulcan smile pushed the corners of Spock's mouth wider. The requirement to embody the definition of "Vulcan" in public often flipped his "uber-Vulcan" switch to its "ON" position.

"Dr. McCoy expects an 11-month pregnancy. However, in humans twins tend to arrive before their calculated delivery date. Vulcans do not produce twins - outside of the infertility program pregnancies."

"And yet Nyota carries twins. Part-Vulcan twins. Perhaps all that is required is a consort without preconceived notions of what Vulcan males are capable of."

The double entendre did not go unnoticed.

"And Grayson - he is well?" the Elder prodded.

"Quite. He is pleased to be an older brother, although I predict he will be less pleased when the twins consume all of the attention."

"That is to be expected. His psionic skills grow at a remarkable pace. I received his telepathic announcement about the twins' gender out here."

Spock reacted to that pronouncement by replacing his canapé plate on the table and leaning back into the sofa.

"It is that subject that brings me here. My father exhibits wonder at Grayson's abilities. Had T'Pau survived I am sure my many questions would receive detailed answers but Father seems to know little and understand less about Grayson's abilities."

"And that of his siblings, I presume."

Spock wondered at the connections this woman had, a woman who seldom left this place to travel anywhere anymore.

"You have surmised correctly. The twins are telepathic. One is empathic, like Nyota and Grayson."

"You are concerned?"

Her face gave little away; she'd abandoned the strict mask of unemotional expression long ago. Yet Spock understood now that the beginning of his quest lay here.

"As you yourself understand," he started carefully, "the precarious situation for Vulcans has incited a number of challenges for inter-species children. Terra Prime's almost forgotten manifestos are making their way through the Federation again. My father, for a brief period, successfully restricted inclusion in the Vulcan Family Archive only to those with at least one-half Vulcan blood."

"I informed Sarek of the ridiculousness of that edict given the remnant population numbers."

"My father's reasoning was compromised by mother's death."

"Your father's reasoning should have been _informed_ by your mother's status as his bond mate."

Spock hid the slight grin the Elder's irritation with Sarek elicited; it reminded him of Nyota Uhura.

"You yourself understand better than most how children become pawns in the politics of bias and prejudice played out by adults." he explained, "The abilities of Grayson and the twins remain a closely guarded secret to all but a few. It is, however, time for me to understand how best to deal with this unexpected mutation.

"I have often also wondered at the strength of Nyota's latent psi abilities and the inability of her physicians in Africa or Starfleet to identify them. Her telepathic marital bond appears unique in what is left of our medical history. I believe you can confirm or disprove that assertion."

The Elder sighed, a very human act.

"You were always the smartest, Spock. Always kilometers ahead of your peers.


	3. Chapter 3

"As I'm sure you've concluded," she continued, "yes - human-Vulcan marital bonds with full telepathic channels have occurred before. Your parents did not experience this type of bond; Amanda could sense you and your father in a general way but two-way conversations did not occur outside of emergencies.

"I experienced a full telepathic bond with both my human mates."

Pictures, tastefully sized for the shelves, dotted every flat surface and wall. The Elder followed Spock's examination of life and growth in the Elder's family. There'd been two mates - both now deceased. Each produced children who were cherished and launched into a world that ebbed and flowed in its acceptance of their mixed heritage.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"No; but as you will be a constant nuisance until you have your answers, I will.

"The first bond was accidental, according to Vulcan healers. I have always doubted their knowledge in this area as did your mother. What I would say instead is that our secret desires were smarter than our conscious ones. Given closeness and time our mind's joined and then our bodies followed."

"Had you considered that your children might be psi-mutes?"

"Yes. I had, in fact, had that discussion with my mother in her house on Vulcan when I returned to honor my child-bond to another. My Syrranite mother believed that intentionally conceiving children with disabilities was immoral and she believed any children conceived with my human mate would be psionically handicapped.

"T'Pau, your grandmother, corrected this false assumption when she cured me of Pa'nar Syndrome. T'Pau's logic proved sound and correct; my firstborn, though she died in infancy, was telepathic. She called to me as she took her final breaths in my arms."

Infinite distance entered the Elder's gaze. The common household noises of moving air and stasis motors intruded into this moment of discovery and remembered grief. The Elder gathered herself in his presence and continued her explanation.

"Do you have any hypothesis for the unusual capabilities of Nyota, Grayson and the twins?" he asked.

"I have several; I also have the truth. Which would you prefer to hear?"

"Logic would dictate the truth will have the most benefit and produce the best outcome."

The Elder glanced sideways at Spock, raising a single eyebrow. Her beauty had not diminished even at this age. Shimmering strands of gray only now glinted in her hair. Her petite frame retained its youthful figure and trim form.

"You have discussed this with your father, Spohkh?"

"I have attempted to. For reasons only T'Pau understood, she did not pass on much of what she knew and learned."

"No, she would not. Your father, to use a human phrase, can be a real stick in the mud. His logic often blinds him to the 'situation on the ground'. Despite her protest of his bonding in front of the Vulcan High Council, I know T'Pau was pleased Sarak chose your mother, a human, to bond with. I believe, in many ways, she raised him to look elsewhere for a mate - to search for a genuine complement. Did you know your grandmother was an expert in evolutionary genetics?"

Spock's eyes gave away his surprise at the revelation.

"T'Pau might well have been genetically engineering the change she sought for our people in the policies she championed before the Council. Consider how our risk of extinction has been mitigated by you and your father - Vulcans have choices for survival amongst the races throughout the quadrant."

"Does this 'engineering' apply to Nyota?"

"It would seem that in the S'chn T'gai clan, the son exhibits predilections similar to the father."

The sly grin was unmistakeable on the old one's face.


	4. Chapter 4

"My eldest sons are telepathic." she informed him.

"They were artificially conceived after your mate's death?"

Sadness returned to her stature again.

"Yes and no," she spoke softly, "it had been agreed after our formal marriage. We each stored gamete cells. If I were to die, he wanted to use a surrogate. If he died..."

The tears held no surprise for Spock; many Vulcans had learned to cry since the Va'Pak.

"My second son was conceived in this manner. With the first, my pregnancy was an unexpected gift from my mate; he died before we shared this joy. I chose to raise my sons on Earth and to keep their heritage a secret. I reasoned it would be easier to be half human than half Vulcan. My reasoning proved faulty so I relocated to Vulcan for a time."

Spock waited for the connection to Nyota.

"When the persecution escalated on Vulcan, I chose to find a new place rather than to stay as T'Pau did. I admire her stubbornness; my patience would not allow me to remain on Vulcan. I returned to Earth in a caravan with like-minded families and met my second mate there. All my children, except my daughter, have chosen to live as humans. They are all psi-active."

Spock required no more information at this moment. The second family, the subsequent move to this place, all made sense. As did the mystery of Nyota and Grayson.

"You were always the cleverest, Spohkh. Do you have the answers you sought?"

"I am at the start of many revelations, but for now it is enough.

"Thank you, Elder T'Pol."

"So now I am 'Elder'?"

"You have given much to Vulcan and Earth. You deserve respect."

Love filled his eyes. Their next meeting would not be so far off in the future. In a universe with no planet Vulcan, tomorrow could not be assumed.

T'Pol rose, walking behind Spock as he retraced his steps to her door. Tapping his back, she enfolded him in a hug when he turned to speak his final farewell.

"I've given you much to think about. Will you tell Nyota?"

"No. At least not soon. I will formulate a plan for their continued security."

"That is wise. My baby Elizabeth nearly started a war with just her picture. Such a tiny child to cause so much emotion and violence on both worlds - Earth and Vulcan.

"Will you tell your younger self, Spohkh?"

Spock let loose an Amanda Grayson grin. This T'Pol knew both Spocks well from her experiences across parallel lives. Misplaced red matter and broken timelines changed reality for all of them.

"No," Spock Prime answered hesitantly, "I cannot interfere in his choices any more than I have already done. If their survival is threatened..."

"You have always chosen wisely; even with the best analysis, the outcomes are not guaranteed. I trust to your logic."

"My choice to help Romulus led to Nero and the destruction of Vulcan, an 'outcome' I did not consider probable. I have become more cautious in my dotage."

"Do not speak of 'dotage' in the home of an 'elder', Spohkh."

His laughter brought her back to days when her houses on Earth, Vulcan and here shook with life being lived.

"Until next time, peace and long life, T'Pol"

"Live long and prosper, Spohkh."


	5. Chapter 5

T'Pol cleaned up after her visitor, consuming the neatly sliced half-sandwich he'd left and rewarming water for her tea. Carefully washing each cup, saucer and plate, she laid the precious china on a drying towel well away from the edge of the counter. Wiping down the tray, she bent over, less quickly than in years past, and placed it in its storage location.

Scanning that all straightening had been completed, she refilled the teapot and padded softly back into her living area.

As she sat on her couch, stuffing the infuser with fresh chamomile, she took in the family images of her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and beyond, lingering with a loving smile on images of the two men she fully loved and bonded to -

Charles 'Trip' Tucker III and Alhimisi Hassan Uhura.


End file.
